Ex-Drug Dealer Says Bulger Tried To Extort $1M

BOSTON (CBS/AP) — A former drug dealer says James “Whitey” Bulger once tried to scare him into paying $1 million by having an associate spin a loaded gun on a table, point it at him, then pull the trigger.

William David Lindholm testified Wednesday in Bulger’s racketeering trial in Boston. He said Bulger’s associate played a game like “Russian Roulette” with him in 1983.

Lindholm said he and his partner were major marijuana dealers who distributed about 170,000 pounds during that summer. Lindholm said shortly after that he was asked to go to a club where he found Bulger and three other men.

Lindholm said Bulger pulled two guns out and demanded $1 million. He said he negotiated with Bulger to get the amount down to $250,000 and agreed to pay.

Jurors also heard from the daughter of murdered Oklahoma businessman Roger Wheeler.

He was shot through the eye when he allegedly stood in the way of a Bulger-lead plan to make money off of his Jai Alai company.

And former US Customs Agent Don DeFago talked about how another alleged Bulger victim, John McIntyre, helped authorities learn about the smuggling of drugs and of Bulger’s apparent role in trying to sneak a shipload of weapons to the Irish Republican Army.

McIntyre, too, would end up shot dead.

This all builds up to Thursday, perhaps the most anticipated testimony so far. Steven “the rifleman” Flemmi takes the stand.

Once Bulger’s closest partner, he will testify at length against him.

It will be the first time in 18 years Bulger and Flemmi have laid eyes on each other.